Self-cleaning sand and sediment trap for pump lines



M. L. BRYER May 29, 1956 SELFCLEANING SAND AND SEDIMENT TRAP FOR PUMP LINES Filed April 14, 1955 INVENTOR Melvin L. Bryer M fl/ ,flnu

ATTORNEY) United States Patent SELF-CLEANING SAND AND SEDIIVIENT TRAP FOR PUMP LINES Melvin L. Bryer, Beeville, Tex., assignor of fifty per cent to Frank Coughlin, Beeville, Tex.

Application April 14, 1955, Serial No. 501,270

7 Claims. (Cl. 210-57) This invention relates to improvements in self cleaning sediment traps for pump lines.

It is well known in the art relating to tube pumping of liquids that sand or other sediment settling into the work'barrel not only provides congestion which prevents proper quantity flow of the liquid being pumped, but also it is very destructive to valve and piston parts of the pumping equipment. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a relatively simple trap of a nature to be located in the tubing for the self cleaning of the sediment and sand by efficiently discharging it into the upward flow of liquid through the pump tubing and preventing it from dropping into the working barrel and upon the piston and valve mechanism.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a relatively inexpensive and practical type of self cleaning sediment trap adapted to be placed in pump barrels or tubing, and which has a jet action upon the liquid being pumped such as will create not only a suction for removing the sand and sediment which has been trapped, but which also has a downward back pressure in the trap chamber for creating a liquid turbulence such as will wash i out the sand and sediment from the trapping area and insure that the same passes out of the pump line with the liquid.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the "several views:

Figure l is a vertical cross sectional view taken through the tubing or barrel portions of a pump line showing the associated piston-valve and piston rod mechanisms and the relative location of the improved self cleaning sand and sediment trap.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view taken through details of the improved self cleaning sand and sediment trap.

Figure 3 is a transverse cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

The pump line A may be of any approved type, through which flammable or non-flammable liquids may be pumped. In pumping of liquids from wells the tubing generally consists of a working barrel 10, which at the lower end may have a suitable bottom coupling cap 11 in which other tubing 12 may be connectced. The working barrel 10 is provided with a passageway or chamber 13 therein and the upper end has a detachable cap coupling 14 which receives the lower end of a pipe portion 15 having a cap 16 detachably connected therewith attached to the bottom of the barrel portion 17 wherein the trap assemblage B is located. Other pipe sections 18 may be connected by coupling caps 19 to suit the desired length of the tubing.

A valve type piston structure C operates in the working barrel chamber 13 and has piston rod connections 25 leading to the operating mechanism. The coupling caps 2,747,737 Patented May 29, 1956 11, 14, 16, 19, etc. are provided with passageways therethrough to permit free flow of the liquid.

Referring to the self cleaning sand and sediment trap B, the same may be located in wells for the pumping of oil or located in any pump line through which flammable or non-flammable liquids are pumped, with the assurance that sand and sediment will not drop back into the working barrel where the same can be destructive to the piston and travelling valve mechanisms. To that end trap mechanism B consists of a rigid disc like ring shaped base 30, of any approved material, preferably non-corrosive. It has a passageway 31 therethrough and in this passageway an upstanding tube 32 of uniform diameter is connected, as by welding at 33. The tube 32 is of a desired length, shorter than the length of the barrel portion 17 of the pump line wherein the same is located, and it is provided with a passageway 35 therethrough of uniform diameter. The area of the discharge passage is indicated by the arrows and numeral 36 in Figure 2.

An important feature of the sediment trap is the provision of an inverted funnel shaped bafile or member 40 having a uniformly tapered passageway 41 therethrough. This passageway 41 converges upwardly. The lower wider margin 43 is mounted upon standards or posts 44 which may be welded thereto; the lower ends of the posts 44 are also welded or otherwise secured at 45 upon the top surface of the base 30 outward and laterally of the tube 32. There is a distinct relation between the tube 32 and the vertical cone 40, in that the upper portion of the tube 32 extends axially into the lower chamber 41 of the cone 40, for a predetermined distance suflicient to achieve the purposes of this invention. The chamber 41 is of such diameter that where the tube 32 projects into it there is ring-shaped space which will admit of proper drop back of the sand and sediment onto the top surface of the base. The chamber or passageway 41 at its top has an area indicated at 50, which is less than the area 36 at the top of the tube 32.

The sand and sediment trap assembly B is located in the barrel portion of the tubing as indicated in Figure l. Therein it is shown that the outer flanged or marginal portion of the base 30 is clamped between the lower end of the barrel 17 and the bottom cap 16 so that it is firmly fixed in the chamber 55 of the barrel 17. It is to be noted that there is an annular ring-shaped space 56 between the lower outermost peripheral margin of the cone 40 and the inside walls of the chamber 55.

Referring to the operation of the sand and sediment trap B, all liquid pumped upwardly through the tubing, by the travelling valve C, must pass through the passageway 35 of the tube 32. The column of liquid being forced upwardly enters the chamber 41 of the inverted funnel shaped member 40, and since the discharge 50 of the chamber 41 is of less area than the outlet of the passageway 35 through the tube, at the location 36, there will be a jet action of liquid above the cone which creates a sucking force in the chamber 55 of the barrel section 17, below the top of the cone 40, for the purpose of lifting sand and sediment which has dropped onto the base 30 out of the compartment between the trap and the barrel 17. There is a double action tending to discharge the sand and sediment. The back pressure in the chamber 41 will cause the liquid to pass downwardly through the ch amber 41 surrounding the upper portion of. the barrel 32 which projects thereinto. This causes the sand and sediment to drop onto the disc 30 and also washes it upwardly through the space 56 and thence upwardly into the flow of liquid through the pump tubing. This action is entirely automatic and avoids the necessity of manual or other cleaning.

It should be noted that the cone 40 is rigidly mounted upon the base 30, in order that no obstruction will be me olfered to the back-Wash of liquid downwardly between the tube 32 and cone it within the passageway 41. There are no obstructions either to downward deflection of sand and sediment nor to the ripple or back-wash of the turbulent liquid being pumped. In other words the cone 44 could be attached to the tube 32 instead of the base 30, but any such connection would offer obstruction to the proper deflection of the sand and sediment and the back pressure action of the liquid.

It will be noted that any tendency of the sand and sediment to drop back into the pump tubing will be prevented because of the jet action of liquid being discharged through the restricted portion of the passageway through the cone 50, so that should any sand or sediment drop from above the trap B it will pass into the trap area over the outer surface of the cone 40 where the same will be discharged and lifted into the lane of travel of the liquid passing through the tubing line.

Various changes may be made to the size, shape and form of invention herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A self cleaning sand and sediment trap for location in pump lines comprising a base portion having an upstanding rigid tube thereon provided with a passageway for pumping of liquids therethrough, and an inverted cone having an upwardly convergent passageway therethrough mounted with respect to the tube so that the upper portion of the tube projects into a portionof the wider lower end of the passage of the cone in spaced relation therewith.

2. A trap as described in claim 1 in which the cone is mounted at its lower end upon said base laterally outwardly spaced from the tube.

. 3. A trap as described in claim 1 wherein the outlet end of the passageway through the cone is of less area than the area of the outlet end of the passageway of the upper end of the tube.

4. A self cleaning sand and sediment trap adapted to be located in pump tubing lines comprising a ring shaped disc like base, an upstanding tube fixed upon said base having a passageway therethrough for the passage of all liquid being pumped, an inverted cone shaped member fixed with respect to the upper end of the tube so that the upper end of the tube projects a short distance into the lower portion of the passageway through said cone,

said passageway of the cone being convergent in cross sectional area upwardly with a discharge end of less area than the discharge area of the passageway of said tube at the top of said tube, said tube at its upper end within the chamber of the cone being laterally spaced from the inner walls of the cone to define an annular space.

5. A trap as described in claim 4 in which the lower marginal portion of the cone is mounted upon standards attached to the base at a location laterally outwardly of said tube.

6. In a device for the trapping of sand and sediment from liquid flowing through the passageway of a pipe line the combination of a reduced tube located in the pipe line and having a passageway therethrough, the tubing being spaced annularly from the inner walls of the pipe line and means being provided to insure that all of the liquid passing through the pipe line will travel through the passageway of said tube, and a member located in the pipe passageway at a fixed relation with respect to said tube and having a passageway therethrough wider at its lower end than the upper end of said tube which projects therein, the wider lower end of said member being annularly spaced from the inner walls of the passageway of said pipe line and the upper end of said member having a discharge opening.

7. In a device for the trapping of sand and sediment from liquid flowing through the passageway of a pipe line the combination of a reduced tube located in the pipe line and having a passageway therethrough, the tubing being spaced annularly from the inner walls of the pipe line and means being provided to insure that all of the liquid passing through the pipe line will travel through the passageway of said tube, and a member located in the pipe passageway at a fixed relation with respect to said tube and having a passageway therethrough wider at its lower end than the upper end of said tube which projects therein, the wider lower end of said member being annularly spaced from the inner walls of the passageway of said pipe line and the upper end of the said member having a discharge opening of less area than the discharge area of the passageway of said tube.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

